Cemetery / Funeral Arrangements

Dear Friends,
As Rabbis we are privileged to be part of the most important events in families lives. We rejoice with you at baby namings and circumcisions, we welcome your children on the first day of Hebrew School, we give counsel before weddings and cry together when loved ones pass on.
Rabbis do see much joy as well as tragedy. Yet some unpleasantness can and should be averted. There need not be anxiety, financial pressure, and last minute, difficult decisions about funeral services and burial plots when one is struggling with doctors and debilitating disease.
How often we thought, if members of our community could just find the peace of mind necessary to focus on family rather than having to worry about coming up with thousands of dollars in one day's notice.
That wish has been granted with an opportunity for us to buy our own burial section. Please take the time to investigate and acquaint yourself with the benefits that only in time you will come to appreciate.Long Life:Our sages say: Making arrangements for funeral services is a "segulah - lucky charm" for a Long life.Location:Our community's burial section is located at Lakeside. Besides being convenient, our congregation has had a long relationship with Lakeside and its personnel. They know, understand, and respect our specific needs and Jewish standards. Privacy:Another concern many of us have with cemeteries in Florida is the flat headstones that allow people, workers, trucks and tractors to walk and drive directly over the burial plots themselves. Our community's section of sixty plots is:
(a) Hedged from both sides ensuring privacy
(b) Does not allow trucks, etc. to drive directly over the grave
(c) Access to every grave is from a paved walkway so no one needs to walk on grass, or over any other grave.
(d) Traditional upright markers on a paved surface, ensuring it to stay upright and even; and not to tilt or fall. Cost:Advertisements have recently appeared in local and Jewish newspapers announcing an increase in price for funeral services. This comes as no surprise. In fact, the trend has been for costs to double every decade. Translate that into dollars and in ten years you will be paying 13 or 15 thousand dollars... and that just covers a plot of land, not any other services.Our current negotiated price is $6,995 which overtime will only cost you more.Payment Schedule:The best part of this low cost is the payment plan that comes with it. All you need is a deposit of $1,400 per plot with payments every 3 months. After two years you are all paid up.Halacha:You will have the peace of mind, knowing that everything will be according to Jewish law. This will also guarantee that you will not be pressured to buy extravagant and wasteful accouterments (i.e. Brass coffins with velvet) and that the actual service will be conducted in accordance with Halacha. Donation:In addition, over 25% of your price is tax-deductible!! Yes you read this correctly. Not only will you be helping yourself and your family, you will also be giving back to the community at the same time.
We are thankful for the expertise of our good friend Getzel Steg, who has offered to organize this project. He can be reached at tomsteg@gmail.com or you can call the shul office.

Hoping to share in many simchas (and only simcahs) for many years to come. Remember what our sages say: Making arrangements for funeral services is a "segulah - lucky charm" for a Long life.
Sincerely yours,
Rabbi Zalman Bukiet and Rabbi Moishe Denburg